Wire line junk bailer



Mar/'r1 E. True,

BY' A -Q.. f?,

Arrof? E June .18, 1957 M. E. TRU-E WIRE LINE: JUNK. BAILER Filed Aug.`30, 1954 WIRE LINE .FUNK BAELER Martiri E. True, Houston, Tex.,assigner', by mesne assignments, to Essov Research and EngineeringCompany, Elizabeth, N. .1., aV corporation of Delaware ApplicationAugust 30, 1954, Serial No. 452,796

4 Ciaiins. (Cl. 294-86) The present application is directed'v toa wireline fishing tool and more specifically to an improved device forremoving junk from a borehole.

It is an advantage of the present invention that an elongated chamberhaving a cylindrical inner wall has a iluid tight piston releasablylocked at its lower end. Junk retaining means are positioned immediatelybelow the piston. Upon release of the locking means, the piston movesrapidly upwardly under the inlluence of the pressure differentialbetween the interior of the chamber and the well and leaves anunimpededy passage behind it, the unimpeded passage allowing a highvelocity ow of iluid from the bottom of the hole upwardly into thechamber, this high velocity uid being particularly benecial in carryingjunk into they passage where it is retained by junk retaining means suchas flexible fingers and/ or permanent magnets.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention may be seen fromthe following' description taken in conjunction with the drawing inwhich Fig. l is an elevation, partly in section, showing `one embodimentof the present invention;` and,

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, showing another embodiment ofthe present invention.

Turning now specically to the drawing and rst to Fig. l, an elongatedbody A has its upper end closed by wall B having a head C for attachmentto a wire line in the usual manner and check valves D. The interior ofthe body A is a chamber having a cylindrical wall 11 extendingsubstantially the full length thereof.

The lower end of housing A is slightly enlarged and is provided withjunk retaining means in the form of flexible fingers 12 and permanentmagnets 14. Access to the interior of the body is provided byslots 13when the bottom of the housing A rests on the bottom of the borehole. Apiston E is tted into the lower end of body A and is slidable alongcylindrical surface 11, sealing members 15 insuring a fluid tight sealbetween the piston E and the inside wall of body A.

When the assembly is prepared at the surface of the earth for loweringinto position and until such a time as the piston E is released,releasable locking means secure piston E in body A in the position shownin Fig. 1. Locking balls F are provided, these locking balls fittinginto a circular groove 16 in body A and being retained in radiallyextending holes 17 in piston E by means of retaining member G. Retainingmember G is somewhat in the shape of a piston and when in lockingposition to retain locking balls F in groove 16 of body A, has its loweredge 18 in contact with shoulder 19 of piston E and is retained in thisposition by spring 2t? which has one end resting against surface 21 ofpiston E and the other end resting against shoulder 22 of member G. Arod H has its upper end secured to retaining member G and extendsdownwardly through the circular opening at the upper ends of junkretaining fingers 12 and terminates in a head 24 below body A. Member Ghas a circular shoulder 22a which retains locking balls F in positionPatented June 18, 1957 Vicc when it is in the position shown in thedrawing and adjacent thereto is a circular groove 23 which when member Gis moved upwardly allows locking balls F to move inwardly out of groove160i body A thus releasing piston E so that it may move upwardly.

It is to be noted particularly that the releasable locking means is soarranged that when the piston is released for upward movement, thecylindrical passage 11 is left unimpeded.

When using the device shown in Fig. l, the parts will be arranged asshownin Fig. l at the surface of the earth with the chamber 10 filledwith air at atmospheric pressure. The device will be lowered down theborehole and upon reaching bottom will have a hydrostatic pressureacross piston E aproximately equal to the area of the piston times themud pressure at this point. Wheny rod H bumps bottom and forces member Gupwardly so that locking balls F may bev released from circular groove16 into recess 23 thereby releasing piston E, the pressure across thepistonwill cause the piston to move upwardly at a high velocity leavingan unimpeded passage behind it in body A. This results in a ilow of highvelocity uid from the bottom of the' hole which tends to carry junkupwardly into' the body where it will be retained by the flexible junkcatching fingers 12 and permanent magnetsV v14. Whenl the pressure inthe body has become equalized, the device is drawn upwardly and thecheck valves D Yallow the pressure to bleed from chamber 10Y as thedevice is retrieved.

Another embodiment ofthe present invention is shown in Fig. 2. In thisembodiment, a tubular body K has its upper end closed by L to which' isattached a wire line attaching head M and' is provided with check valvesN. The inner wall of body K is in the form of a cylindrical surface 50andIk piston O is slidably arranged therein and, provided with fluidtight seals 51. The lower end of body K is enlarged at 52 and isprovided with flexible junk retaining fingers 53 and permanent magnets55 arranged above flexible fingers 53. Slots 54 are provided t'o admitil'uidV into the body when its lower end rests on` the bottom of thehole.

Piston O is releasably retained in position by releasable 1 lockingmeans consisting of locking balls P which lit into a circular groove 56in piston O and into radially extending holes 57 in the wall of body K.A sleeve Q arranged on the exterior' of body K retains the locking ballsin locking position when in the* position as shown in Fig. 2.. MemberQis provided with a cylindrical surface 58 which retains the lockingballs within groove 56, but above surface 58 is an annular recess 59land when member Q is moved so that recess 59 is adjacent locking ballsP, the balls can move outwardly and release piston O. A spring R has oneend in contact with shoulder 60 of member Q and its other end againstshoulder 61 of body K thus biasing locking ring Q upwardly to retainlocking balls P in locking position.

An elongated sleeve I is slidably arranged on the exterior surface ofbody K with its lower surface in contact with the upper annular surface71 of member Q. The upper end of sleeve I extends above end member L ofbody K and terminates in ring member S which is provided withy openings'72 to allow the release of iiuid through check valves N and is providedwith a central passage' 73 the wallsy of which t slidingly around memberThe sleevek l withy member S is retained within predetermined limits bymeans of a circular shoulder 74 on member M which limits the upwardmovement of end member S and sleeve J, the assembly JS being slidabledownwardly but is biased against such movement by spring T which has oneend in contact with member L of body K and the other end resting againstend member S.

When using the embodiment of Fig. 2, the parts are arranged at thesurface as shown in Fig. 2 with chamber 75 filled with air atatmospheric pressure. The device is lowered on a wire line until thelower end of body K rests on the bottom of the borehole. Upon reachingthe bottom of the borehole a sleeve U i's dropped down the wire line andupon reaching the tool strikes end S thereby moving the assembly SJdownwardly and forcing ball retaining member Q downwardly which releaseslocking balls P so that piston O is released. When piston O is releasedit moves upwardly under the influence of the hydrostatic pressureexerted on it. This allows iluid to iiow at a high velocity from thebottom of the hole upwardly into the body K tending to carry junk intothe body so that it may be retained by junk retaining lingers 53 andpermanent magnets 55.

The invention claimed is:

l. A wire line junk bailer for removing junk from a well comprising anelongated body having a chamber defined by a substantially uniformcylindrical inner wall extending substantially the length of said bodyand communicating with the exterior through an opening in the lower endof said body having substantially the same area as the area of saidchamber deiined by the cylindrical inner wall with locking ballreceiving ports at the lower end of said body, junk retaining meanscarried by the inner wall of said body adjacent its lower end and belowsaid ball receiving ports, a piston having a circular inwardly extendinggroove and slidably arranged in said body, sealing means carried by saidpiston arranged to make and maintain a fluid tight seal with thecylindrical inner wall of said body, a locking ball in each of saidlocking ball receiving ports of said wall engaging with the circulargroove of said piston, a sleeve slidably arranged around the outside ofsaid body having a cylindrical inner surface for contact with saidlocking balls to retain them in the circular groove of the piston whentheY sleeve is in a rst position and having a circular groove verticallyspaced away from the cylindrical surface and allowing the locking ballsto be forced out of the circular groove of said piston when the sleeveis in a second position vertically removed from the rst position, saidsleeve extending above the upper end of said elongated body whereby itmay be readily moved downwardly to its second releasing position byreceiving a blow at its upper end.

2. A wire line junk bailer for removing junk from a well comprising anelongated body having an unimpeded substantially uniform cylindricalchamber extending substantially the length of the body and communicatingwith the exterior of the body through an opening in the lower end of thebody, junk retaining means arranged in the lower end of the chamberabove said opening, a piston provided with sealing means and having atleast one locking sphere receiving recess in the wall thereof slidablyarranged in said chamber in sealing engagement with the interior wall ofsaid chamber, said sealing means maintaining a fluid tight seal with theinterior wall of said chamber, and a locking sphere retaining sleeveslidably carried by said body member having a cylindrical surfaceadapted to retain said sphere in said recess in said piston when thesleeve is in a first position and providing a recess in said sleevespaced away from the cylindrical surface of said sleeve for receivingthe sphere when the sleeve is in a second position, said locking sphereand said retaining sleeve releasably securing said piston in a rstposition in said chamber whereby release of said piston by a forceexerted against said retaining sleeve to free said locking means causeswell pressure i to force said piston through said chamber to a secondposition while maintaining sealing engagement with the interior Wallthereof and leaving an unimpeded passage substantially the length ofsaid body from said junk retaining means to said piston in its secondposition.

3. A wire line junk bailer for removing junk from a well comprising anelongated body having a chamber defined by a substantially uniformcylindrical inner wall extending substantially the length of said bodyand communicating with the exterior through an opening in the lower endof said body having substantially the same area as the remainder of saidchamber and having a circular groove near the lower end thereof, junkretaining means carried by the inner wall of said body below saidcircular groove, a piston having locking ball receiving ports in thewalls thereof slidably arranged in said body, sealing means on saidpiston making and maintaining a uid tight seal between said piston andthe cylindrical inner wall of said elongated body on movement of saidpiston within said chamber, a locking ball arranged in each of saidlocking ball receiving ports of said piston and in the circular grooveof the elongated body and a locking ball retaining sleeve slidablycarried interiorly by said piston having a cylindrical surface adaptedto retain said balls in contact with the circular groove of said bodywhen the sleeve is in a first position and having a circular groovevertically spaced away from said cylindrical surface and allowing thelocking balls to be released from the circular groove of said body torelease the piston when the sleeve is forced to a second positionvertically removed frorn its rst position, an elongated memberprojecting from said sleeve below the bottom of said body whereby upwardmovement of said elongated member forces the locking ball retainingsleeve from its rst position to its second position to release saidlocking balls whereby well pressure forces said piston from a rstposition to a second position in said chamber to provide an unimpededchamber from said junk retaining means to said piston in its secondposition. Y

4. A wire line junk bailer for removing junk from a well comprising anelongated body enclosing a substantially uniform cylindrical chamberextending substantially the length of the body and having its lower endopen and its upper end closed, a fluid-tight piston releasably attachedto the inner wall of said chamber in the lower end thereof, sealingmeans carried by said piston for maintaining a fluid tight seal with theinner wall of said chamber on upward movement from a first to a secondposition, an elongated member attached to said piston and extendingthrough the lower open end of said chamber, and junk retaining meanscarried by said body member in said chamber below the piston andadjacent the lower open end, the pressure in said chamber above saidpiston being less than hydrostatic well pressure whereby upward movementof said elongated member on contacting well bottom causes said piston tobe released and to be forced upwardly at a high velocity from its rstposition to its second position in said chamber by said hydrostatic wellpressure and thereby draws junk into said chamber above said junkretaining means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS2,028,418 Smith et al. Ian. 21, 1936 2,104,942 Condra Ian. 1l, 19382,318,885 Osmun May ll, 1943 2,435,444 .Tohnsen Feb. 3, 1948 2,539,435Kirby Ian. 30, 1951

